Elgin pocket watch breakdown.

[ewinrow]

Hello to all, I have been working with a couple of Elgin pocket watches and so far having some success with the tearing down. Have everything broke down and placed in caps in order of takedown. Also have pics of the process. I should have no problem putting them back together 😯 . One needs a lever set, (broken) and the other just needs to be cleaned. Being real carful about my work now and gaining a serious gain of confidence. Well onto e-bay to search for needed parts.
PS. Always open for suggestions as this course is bringing me up to speed. …..

[willofiam]

Hey Ed, sounds like your on a mission, great job, fun isnt it?….when I have needed a pocket watch part I have done the same thing, buy a non running watch off ebay. taking a chance as it may not be the right one of even have the part needed BUT for a price usually less than the part itself I have ended up with alot of spare parts for the future, sometime I end up with a movement that is in better shape than the one I am working on (makes it difficult to use as a parts watch) Have a great day, William

[david pierce]

Ewinrow,
Cas-Ker has a lever set assortment (03-4136) as well as other watch parts. Also, if you go to the general internet and type in ELGIN POCKET WATCH PARTS you may find some other sources.
david

[randy]

William is right about it being a crap shoot at times.
I narrow it down by running the serial number in this database and then searching for the same Mod/Caliber on the internet

http://elginwatches.org/databases/index.html

Best

Randy

[ewinrow]

Thanks for all of the info, after I put the watch back together I still have the same problem just now it doesn’t even run. Not a problem though, why venture into anything if you have short intentions….. My determination far outweighs my difficulties, heck my bigger problems are not mechanic’s but seizers and other medical issues affecting my only good hand now. But as a former member of the 82nd ABN DIV, I know how to rock-up and get the job done, uhraaa. Also I see their are some on this site who demand you strive for success and urge you to discard the thought of failure. Now, let me sit back and tack on my Cuban cigar and get busy. Again, thanks for the encouraging feedback. Ed.

[willofiam]

Hey Ed, would LOVE to be sitting down next to you enjoying a good cigar, please dont tell me the weather is nice too…. @ewinrow wrote:

Also I see their are some on this site who demand you strive for success and urge you to discard the thought of failure.

I dont know who those guys are but from my experience it all seems to work out in the end if you keep at it, I myself have had many a time when I wanted to give it all away, sorry I didnt Paul. what helps me the most is probably what your doin, take a break and have a cigar every once in awhile. Still, failure is not a option, for the main reason I dont want to go back to doing what I used to…now with that mentality I can easily put alot of stress on myself (I am learning how to do better with that). Now get to work……oh and have some fun while your at it…William

[willofiam]

Sorry guys, LET ME CORRECT MYSELF, Failure IS a option and sometimes the only option, failure is the stepping stone to success if you do not quit. I should have said QUITTING is NOT a option. William

[arutha]

Hi Ed,
when I first started and took my first clock apart I broke it, thought that was that and threw it away. It was only a cheap pin pallet time piece and had no value. The next clock I took apart and was a little more careful, I took my time, got it back together after fighting with the mainspring and it didn’t run. Neither did the next one, or the next……
What I am saying is dont worry about failure, failure is a word for a term -“I will come back to it later”.
Whatever we work on we learn as we go, if a clock or watch doesn’t work when we have serviced it I can bet we have still learnt something from doing it.
Take your time, walk away from it when it gets too much and ask as many questions as you like. We all get days with “failures”, dont ever think you are alone!
Paul.
p.s. I still have some “failures” in my workshop, in boxes, waiting for when I have the right tools/experience to make them into successes

[david pierce]

Failure can be a great teacher. It is however far less costly when failures are made by others.
david

[Author]

Posts